This is a submission for the OpenClaw Writing Challenge
In this guide, I'll walk you through installing three tools step by step that together give you a free personal AI assistant running right on your computer.
No subscriptions, no monthly fees = completely free.
Here's what we'll install:
Ollama:
A program that lets you run AI models directly on your computer. Think of it as an "engine" that powers artificial intelligence locally. Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
GLM-5.1:
An AI model from Chinese company Z.AI (formerly Zhipu AI). Released on April 7, 2026, it's one of the best open-source models in the world. On the SWE-Bench Pro benchmark (a coding test), it scored 58.4 points, more than GPT-5.4 and Claude Opus 4.6. And it's completely free under the MIT license.
OpenClaw:
An AI agent that transforms a regular language model into a full-featured assistant. It can send messages via WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, search the web, work with files, write code, and automate tasks. OpenClaw launches through Ollama with a single command.
System Requirements
Before installing, make sure your computer meets these requirements:
Minimum (for cloud models via Ollama Cloud):
- Any modern computer
- 8 GB RAM
- 5 GB free disk space
- Internet connection
- Node.js version 22 or newer
Recommended (for local models):
- 16 GB RAM (for medium-sized models)
- GPU with 8+ GB VRAM (NVIDIA recommended)
- 20+ GB free disk space
- Running the full GLM-5.1 locally requires server hardware (the model has 744 billion parameters), but the cloud version via Ollama is free
Important:
If you don't have a powerful GPU, don't worry! GLM-5.1 is available as a cloud model through Ollama (glm-5.1:cloud), and it runs fast without any hardware requirements on your end.
1. Install Ollama
Ollama is the foundation of the entire system. We start here.
Install Ollama by following the link to the official website. Paste the command into the terminal or download the app.
Now Ollama is installed.
2. Choosing GLM 5.1 model
Just type ollama and the program will launch, then select the option “Chat with a model”.
Next, select the desired model, in my case GLM 5.1.
You'll be able to chat with it right in the terminal, ask questions, request code, analyze texts, and more.
Important:
To use cloud models, you need to sign in to an Ollama account. If you don't have one yet, Ollama will prompt you to create one when you first launch a cloud model. It's free.
Now we are connected via the cloud version of GLM 5.1.
3. OpenClaw
Next, going down a little further on the same site, we will install OpenClaw using the command (if it is not already installed):
- Ollama will check if OpenClaw is installed on your computer
- If not, it will download and install it via
npm(Node.js must be installed) - A security notice will appear (OpenClaw is getting access to tools on your computer) – accept it
- A model selection screen will open, choose the one you need (for example,
glm-5.1:cloud) - OpenClaw will launch in the terminal, and you can start chatting
Launch with configuration before starting:
If you want to configure OpenClaw first (choose a model, connect messengers, etc.):
ollama launch openclaw --config
4. OpenClaw Control Panel (Control UI)
After launching OpenClaw, you can open the web control panel in your browser. Go to:
http://localhost:3000
In the Control UI you'll find:
- Chat – chat with the AI assistant right in the browser
- Overview – general information about the agent's status
- Channels – connect messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage)
- Instances – manage running instances
- Sessions – session and conversation history
- Usage – usage statistics
- Cron Jobs – automated scheduled tasks
At the top of the panel, you can switch between channels and models.
5. Connecting automatic web search
Next, we follow the documentation and enable automatic web search.
OpenClaw can search for information on the internet. If you're using a cloud model through Ollama, web search is enabled automatically.
For local models, you need to install the plugin:
openclaw plugins install @ollama/openclaw-web-search
6. Connecting the messaging platform
Now you can connect messengers that will make it easier to communicate with your agent.
One of OpenClaw's key features is the ability to chat with the AI agent through familiar messengers. You send a message on Telegram and get a response from AI.
Channel setup is done through the Control Panel (Control UI) or via the command:
ollama launch openclaw --config
Select the “Channels” section and follow the instructions to connect the messenger you need.
Link WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, or iMessage with this command:
openclaw configure --section channels
For example, to connect a Telegram account, you will need to:
- Go to the Telegram bot “BotFather”
- Start it
- Create a new bot by giving it a name and a username
- Once the bot is successfully created, grab its token
Next we add our bot token in the terminal, and we're all set.
7. Using with Claude Code and Codex (Bonus)
Ollama also lets you launch other AI development tools. As shown on the GLM-5.1 page on Ollama, there are ready-made commands:
Claude Code with GLM-5.1:
ollama launch claude --model glm-5.1:cloud
Codex with GLM-5.1:
ollama launch codex --model glm-5.1:cloud
OpenCode with GLM-5.1:
ollama launch opencode --model glm-5.1:cloud
This lets you harness the power of GLM-5.1 through different programming interfaces.
About the GLM-5.1 Model: Why It Matters
GLM-5.1 is a next-generation model from Z.AI (formerly Zhipu AI, a Tsinghua University spinoff). Key facts:
- Architecture: 744 billion parameters (Mixture-of-Experts), 40 billion active parameters per token
- Context window: 200,000 tokens
- License: MIT (completely free, use however you want)
- Release date: April 7, 2026
GLM-5.1's key feature is its ability to work autonomously for up to 8 hours, revising its strategy and finding new approaches to problem-solving.
While other models “run out of steam” after their initial attempts, GLM-5.1 continues improving results through hundreds of iterations.
Three commands. Zero subscriptions. Your own AI agent that works for you, not someone else's server. The future is here and it's free.
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This article was originally published by DEV Community and written by ANIRUDDHA ADAK.
Read original article on DEV Community